New policies for short-term rental properties through companies like Airbnb will be in place in The Woodlands by the end of the year.

The new policies are a result of The Woodlands Development Standards Committee’s idea to get ahead of the short-term rental properties that have developed in The Woodlands, Chairwoman Deborah Sargeant said.

Airbnb rental properties enable local hosts in an area to rent out their house or apartment to visitors. There are about 100 Airbnb rental properties available in The Woodlands area as of early October. Rental prices start at $30 a night and go up to $600.

Sargeant said after holding public forums and discussing ideas with residents, the township’s Residential Design Review Committee and the legal department, the proposed policies will be presented to The Woodlands Township board of directors by the end of the year.

“This is the first time we have ever addressed this,” Sargeant said. “The committee has spent a great deal of time on these policies to go in the right direction.”

Sargeant said one of the main policies short-term rental property owners will have to follow is incorporating the short-term rental policy with the home business policy. This means Airbnb rental owners will have to follow the same rules and regulations as business owners in The Woodlands who use their home as a location for their business.

In comparison to other cities in the Greater Houston area, The Woodlands’ policies on short-term rentals differ. In Sugar Land, which also has about 100 Airbnb properties in the area, a rental property owner has to meet requirements that include annually filing for a rental license, paying an $87 licensing fee, and maintaining the property in compliance with health and property maintenance city codes.

Fred Domenick, general manager of The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel & Convention Center, said as a state hotel board member, he welcomes competition in the hotel industry as long as it is on an equal playing field, meaning Airbnb properties should also pay hotel occupancy tax.

“More rentals will have some impact, but we haven’t really seen it here in the local market,” Domenick said. “Airbnb doesn’t pay hotel tax, so I think it would be problematic getting that active here. I’m not sure how it would be done. It’s no question that The Woodlands will bring more visitors.”

Hennie Van Rensburg, director of covenant administration for the township, said at the previously held public forum, committee members discovered most people were staying in short-term rentals for events like the Ironman [Texas North American Championship] and hospital visits in The Woodlands area.

“Folks here expressed use of the properties during events or for other purposes, such as hospital stays,” he said. “I don’t know if more will develop here though.”

Sargeant agreed with Van Rensburg and said she does not expect The Woodlands to become a major destination for short-term rentals.

“It’s just not the nature of our neighborhood,” Sargeant said. “I can’t see it turning into a short-term rental destination. We’re not a vacation place like Myrtle Beach [South Carolina]—it’s the suburbs.”